Clash
by Stabson
Summary: Elliot is assigned the case of his career. But when it involves his old partner, will he be able to complete his task and keep the one he loves the most, or will his world crash down around him? How will Olivia react when his true feelings are revealed?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Needed a short break from Shattered. I've had this story written for a very long time, and I just stumbled across it and figured it would be interesting to post on here. So, I hope you enjoy!

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><p>The alarm started blaring just after the crack of dawn. There was a sleepy groan from the man in the bed, and a large, calloused hand smacked the snooze button. He rolled onto his side, and pulled the blanket tighter around him. He wasn't ready to get up and face the day yet. He wanted to sleep.<p>

But the stubborn alarm clock wouldn't give him that. It was whining at him again in what seemed like only seconds. He mumbled a curse, and turned off the machine. He sat up, and the blanket fell away from his chest. His hair was black and scruffy. His face was stubbly, too much for a five o'clock shadow, but not enough to call a beard. He wiped his sleepy, blue eyes, then scratched at an itch on his shoulder. He was a very healthy man… he had strong, large muscles from hours and hours in the gym. Then again, they were almost necessary for the job that he was expected to do.

Elliot Stabler threw the covers back on the bed, and yawned, cracking his knuckles. This was the worst part of having such a comfortable bed; he never wanted to leave it in the morning.

He got up, and made his way over to the closet, scratching at his cheek absentmindedly. At a point in the past, he would have hated having this amount of facial hair on his cheeks, he always appreciated a clear face, but now, it didn't seem to affect him. He had changed, so he figured that his taste had changed as well.

He chose a simple black suit from his closet, and dropped it onto the bed before heading into the bathroom to take a shower.

A half an hour later, he was pulling on his warm black overcoat, and a similarly colored hat. In white bold letters, it read USSO. Not very many people knew what the acronym stood for, but he did, and he was proud to wear it.

Elliot walked out of his apartment, shoving his hands into his pockets as he went. He got on the elevator, which took him down to the garage level, and took out his car keys. He had two vehicles in the parking spaces that he had been given with the apartment… in one was his faded green truck, and in the other, his company car. It was a sleek, black Cadillac with all the bells and whistles, including a police scanner, access to FBI, CIA, and his own company's databases, and a high-powered engine that allowed the car to go much faster.

The engine purred as he turned the ignition, and backed out of the parking space. The ride was not long. Soon he turned into another parking garage, and pulled into the space assigned to him. He was in another elevator, and when the doors opened, he was greeted with a large room. The walls were white, floor made of tile and there were high-tech computers, monitors, and other equipment on the walls and scattered throughout the place.

"Morning, Elliot," he heard a male's voice greet.

He turned, "Morning, Jack."

"Good work on the case last night," Jack said as they walked to their respective desks.

"Thanks, man," Elliot answered, leaning back.

"Boss wants to see you, by the way," he said, playing with a pen on his desk.

Elliot's brow furrowed slightly, and he got up, "Alright. Thanks."

_I wonder why he only wants to see me? _

He walked to the far side of the room, and up the stairs that led to a wooden door that said _Director_ on it. He knocked on it, and a voice from within called out.

"Come in."

Elliot walked in, and closed the door behind him. There was a dark, wooden desk, with a middle-aged man sitting behind it. He had his legs crossed over the desk, and was playing with a pen in his hands. The name tag resting on the wood read, 'Director Collins'.

"Director. You want to talk to me?" Elliot asked as he stepped further into the room.

"I do," Collins stated and gestured to one of the chairs in front of the desk, "Take a seat."

The younger man did as he asked, leaning back in the slightly uncomfortable chair, waiting for his boss to speak.

"How long have you been working here?"

"About four months, sir," Elliot answered, folding his hands in his lap.

"That's right," the director said, nodding his head, "Three months and your one of the best men that I have working under me."

Elliot smiled slightly, "Thank you, sir."

He shook his head, "No need to thank me. I have a new assignment for you."

The younger man nodded, leaning forward, "Alright. I'm listening. What do you got for me?"

"I have to warn you now, Stabler. This is an incredibly high profile case. If you mess it up… things will go bad quick."

"Okay," Elliot said, suddenly interested, "What is it?"

Director Collins took something from the bottom drawer, and placed a black box with dangling wires, about the size of a toaster, onto the desk.

"What the hell is that?" Elliot asked.

"One of out field agents picked it off a barrel in the basement of 70 Pine Street. It was strapped to bomb materials."

"A detonator."

"That's right."

"Any leads on who would do this?"

"Russian terrorists," Collins said, "We traced the components and style to a cell of them starting right here in the city. It looks like they're starting to build some serious weapons here. We need to find them and secure the material. The NYPD doesn't know about the bomb we found, but they've been looking into our suspects for felonies that they've committed here. You can't let them convict. If that happens, it's over. Do whatever you have to, understand?"

"Why all the secrecy?" Elliot asked. "NYPD can help us find the suspects, can't they? I've got to tell you, a few hundred men looking for these guys will be a lot more effective than just one."

"We don't know where these guys have ears, Elliot. They may as well have an accomplice in the police department. You're going to be alone on this one."

Elliot nodded. "Understood."

"Good. The file's on your desk."

"I'll get to work," Elliot said, and got up, heading out to the larger room. There was a plain manila folder resting on his desk that had not been there before.

Elliot picked it up, and opened it. There was a picture of the ringleader clipped to the top left corner. It was a middle aged Russian man with salt and pepper hair, a receding hairline, and large, bushy eyebrows. The man's name was Alexei Gorbachov. Elliot flipped the page, and the next one was his right-hand man, Viktor Ivanski.

Their whereabouts were unknown… this was going to be an interesting case, Elliot thought to himself. Where could he start? He grabbed his overcoat from the back of his chair, and walked out of the office.

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><p>Olivia sat at her desk in SVU, staring at the whiteboard. There were two pictures taped to the board… one was of a rapemurder victim, and the other was of their prime suspect… Viktor Ivanski, a Russian immigrant.

"Where is this guy?" she asked softly, staring at the picture of the man.

"Untraceable," Munch answered, looking up from the file that he had been reading from, "Conspiracy."

Olivia smiled slightly, shaking her head at John. She was just waiting for when he went the whole day without saying that word. It seemed impossible for the old detective. She opened the drawer of her desk, and frowned slightly when she saw the picture that was sitting on the top. It was a perfect shot of her and Elliot… they were sitting next to each other at one of the policemen's balls… he was wearing a tux that looked absolutely gorgeous on him. He leaned towards her, saying something, and she had her mouth open in laughter. His deep blue eyes were sparkling.

Olivia took the frame out of the drawer, and just looked at it… she missed him so much. John saw what she was looking at, and spoke, "Good picture."

She nodded her head in agreement, "Yeah, I know. I miss him, you know? He must be busy with his new job, but I wish he would at least call."

The older detective nodded his head, "Yeah, I know. We all miss him. He must have gotten a damn good offer to have left SVU like he did."

"I just hope he's happy," she answered, setting up the picture on her desk.

"We should get back to work," John said softly. Olivia looked up at him, and nodded her head, "Yeah. We should."

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><p>Elliot finished off his soda, and checked his watch, sighing agitatedly. The bartender gave him a sympathetic look, "Another?"<p>

He shook his head, "No, I'm all set. Thanks."

The girl nodded, and walked away, taking care of her other customers.

"Sorry I'm late," he heard a gruff voice from behind him.

"It's fine," Elliot answered, "Sit down, Lenny."

Lenny Briscoe, detective from the homicide unit, took the seat next to Elliot at the bar, and ordered a beer, "So, what's up, Elliot? You call me down here, don't say anything about what this is about. Why so secretive?"

"I need you to give me your word first," Elliot said, turning towards the older man, "You never saw me here. We never had the conversation that we're about to have. Understand?"

Lenny nodded, noticing his seriousness, "Alright. Whatever you say."

Elliot reached into his suit, took out two photos, and placed them on the bar, "Have you seen either of these men before?"

"Yeah," the detective answered, pointing to the picture on the left, "Him."

"Where?"

"He's a suspect," Lenny explained, "Viktor Ivanski."

"Suspect for what?" Elliot asked, taking the pictures, and putting them back in his pocket.

"It's a Manhattan SVU case," he said, "Rape and murder."

"Fuck," he swore softly, running his hand through his hair.

_There are so many reasons that this is not good. They're not going to give up their case without a fight, even if they're giving it up to me. Even worse, I can't even tell them why._

"What's goin' on with you?" Lenny asked, unable to contain it anymore.

"I can't say. I'm sorry. Does SVU have him?"

"No. They don't know where he is."

Elliot nodded his head. At least they didn't have him… Elliot just had to find Ivanski first. Ivanski, and then he would be the key to Gorbachov, and the weapons they were probably producing.

"Thanks for your time, Lenny," Elliot said, "I have to go."

And then the younger man was gone. Briscoe shook his head, and turned back to his drink.

Elliot put on his sunglasses as he walked out of the bar, and sighed. He had a lot of work to do. As he reached his car, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out, and looked at the caller I.D. The name on the screen said _Liv. _He was honestly surprised... he hadn't heard from her in months.

_Should I answer it? _

_Eh, why not? She is my best friend. _

_And the woman I love. _

"Stabler," he said into the cell phone.

"Hey, El," her heard her beautiful voice greet.

"Liv," he breathed out, "Hey. What's up?"

"Nothing," she answered, "Just wanted to call and talk. Are you busy tonight? We could have dinner…"

Elliot nodded his head, "That sounds great. The usual place?"

He could almost hear her smiling, "Yeah. See you around seven."

He said goodbye, and snapped the phone shut as he turned over the ignition of the vehicle.

_Look at that. I got a new assignment, and I get to see Liv. _

_I can't wait. _

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><p>AN: One thing you guys should know: **The organization in this story is fake. **I know it's fake, and I also know that the FBI would probably be investigating the cases that Elliot is investigating. But that's why it's called Fanfiction! I didn't want to include the FBI, I wanted to make something entirely my creation. So please just take the story at face value and enjoy it for what it is :) Thanks!

I was super nervous adding this one onto the site, so I really hope you guys like it. Please let me know in the reviews if you think I should continue!


	2. Chapter 2

Viktor Ivanski knew how to hide. He didn't use a credit card, didn't have a license, and no matter how hard Elliot tried, he couldn't nail down a phone number. It looked like he used a different prepaid cell phone every time he made a call.

Elliot sighed in frustration as the clock on his computer hit five o'clock.

_Looks like today was a complete waste of time. I haven't gotten anything done. _

_I have to find someone close to him. _

He typed _Ivanski_ into the database, and his eyes scanned the results.

_Bernard Ivanski. Brother. Came to America in 2002, just a few years ago on a work visa. Viktor came over eight months later. _

_Maybe he knows something about what his dear brother has been up to._

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><p>Olivia sat in their usual booth, fiddling with the silverware in front of her. It was ten after six, already a few minutes after she and Elliot decided to meet. He wasn't sitting across from her. At least, not yet.<p>

The waitress approached, and smiled empathetically. "Can I get you something to drink?"

She sighed, checking her watch once again. "Yeah, I'll have an iced tea. Thanks."

_He's late, so I may as well get something to drink. _

_What if he doesn't come? _

_He wouldn't stand me up. _

_At least, I don't think he would._

The door to the café opened once more, and she looked up. A thousand emotions hit her when he walked through the door. There he was, looking just as good, if not better, than he did the last time she saw him. He wore a gray suit, and light blue button-up shirt, meticulously pressed. He took off the pair of sunglasses he wore, placed them in the inside pocket of his jacket, and looked directly at her.

"Hi, Liv."

"Hey."

She closed the distance between them with two quick strides. Her arms wrapped around him before she could tell herself not to do it. He hugged her back, and there they stood, right in the middle of the café, cherishing their first moment together in months.

Finally, she let him go, and gave him a once-over. "You look great. How've you been?"

"Pretty good." Elliot answered as they sat down in the booth together. "You?"

"Alright. How's the new job?"

"It's great. How's SVU?"

Olivia shrugged. "Not the same without you."

The waitress approached, and they ordered without even looking at the menu. They had been to this place more times than she could even count, and almost always got the same thing. A chicken Caesar salad for her and a turkey barbeque sandwich for him.

He took off his jacket, and set it on the back of his chair. Under the material of his button-up, she could see his rippling muscles. She always knew he was a healthy man, but she'd never seen this. "Jeez, El. Been working out?"

"Hm?" He looked confused for a moment. "Oh, yeah. For the job, it's, uh… well, let's just say the more I do, the easier my job is. You know."

"No, I don't, really." Olivia said. "Why don't you tell me? I mean, the job must be good if you're walking around in Armani suits."

The twinkle in his eye was impossible to miss. "You know I can't really talk about a lot of it, but… it's great, Liv. The things I'm doing, I feel like they matter. I feel like I'm actually making a difference."

Olivia nodded. "That's awesome, El. I mean, after everything that happened… I'm glad you found something that you love doing."

His smile turned into a frown.

_After everything that happened…_

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up." Olivia said, immediately noticing his change in demeanor.

_God, that was stupid. Why the hell did I mention that? _

He shook his head, giving her a weak smile. "No, it's okay. It's done and over with."

"I mean, something good did come out of it, right?" Olivia said.

Elliot opened his mouth to speak, but the waitress approached the table with their plates.

"Yeah, one good thing came out of it." He said offhandedly, taking a bite of his sandwich.

Olivia frowned, watching her ex-partner as he dug into his meal. "Kathy's not budging, huh?"

"Nope." Elliot said. "She and the kids are still in Florida with her mother. I signed the divorce papers a couple of weeks ago, and with my job and the kind of schedule I keep, there's no way a judge will even consider joint custody."

"I'm sorry, El." She whispered. "It's really not your fault, she shouldn't be doing this to you."

He shrugged, keeping his eyes glued to his plate as he took another big bite of his sandwich. "It wasn't just that. I knew this was coming, Liv, I guess I just… didn't pay enough attention."

"You love your kids, and you love your wife. That was the only thing that should have mattered."

Finally, he looked up at her, and smiled. "Enough of my problems. Tell me what's been going on with you."

"Just work. You know me." Olivia said. "You should stop by the precinct with me for a while. Just to see everyone again."

"I dunno, Liv. Going to that place after everything… it just brings up a lot of bad memories."

"So what better way is there to get over it?"

Elliot sighed. If anything, maybe he could get some more information about Ivanski during his visit.

_No. This is Liv, I can't use her like that. _

"Yeah, you're probably right." He agreed, giving a nod. "Why not?"

The look of happiness on her face was priceless. Even if he was hit with the most vile of flashbacks, if he took one step into that bullpen and just wanted to die, it would be worth it.

Elliot stood, dropping some money onto the table. "Well, let's go then. Did you drive?"

"No," she answered, "I took a cab. You should know that."

He chuckled, "Yeah, I should. We'll take my car."

They walked out into the parking lot, and she gasped audibly when she saw his Cadillac. "Armani suits and a car that costs more than my apartment. Guess the job is really good."

A smile spread across his lips as he threw on his sunglasses, "This one came with the job."

He opened the passenger side door for her, and she slid in, immediately noticing the dark leather interior.

_He must be pretty important if he gets a $60,000 car from work. _

Elliot started turned the engine over, and pulled out of the parking lot. He knew exactly what she was thinking. He had been thinking the same thing when he got the Cadillac.

"Touch screen radio?" she murmured, turning it on, "Damn, El. I wish we got cars like this."

"I know," he answered, chuckling. "Believe me, when they handed over the keys, I thought they were playing a joke on me."

"Well, clearly they weren't."

"Clearly."

They reached the precinct in what seemed like no time. Elliot stared up at the building, apprehension rising in his chest. He hadn't been to this place since he quit the NYPD. Would he even be welcome?

"Well?" Olivia asked, staring at him from the passenger seat. "C'mon."

He nodded once, and got out of the car, locking the doors behind him. He and Olivia walked up to the entrance in matching strides, just like old times.

_Well, here goes nothing…_

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><p>AN: Thanks to everyone that reviewed last chapter.

**PaperFrames: **Hopefully a few small details in this chapter answered some of your questions about the presence of Lennie Briscoe. It is pretty much A/U, sorry if I confused you on that, and I figured if I bent the rules with his death a little bit, it wouldn't matter too much. He's not a major component in the story, anyway, just a little easter egg I thought some readers would enjoy :) Although, you may see a few more scenes with him...

**Bensidy2306: **Glad you liked it! I agree, there aren't very many stories on here right now with Elliot and Olivia working on different task forces. It seems like Elliot is either at SVU still, or not working for the force all together. I'm hoping this little twist will be interesting to you guys :)

**Sam 'Dimples' Swarek: **Haha, I'm glad you took head in my note! I was thinking about researching and picking an agency that already exists, but I wanted something that I could really be flexible with. Plus, I didn't want to get some major facts wrong. That's one of my worst fears, making it clear to people that I don't know what I'm talking about, lol.

Once again **thanks for reviewing**. I hope you guys display the **same level of feedback** for this chapter, because it's really motivating when I see people reading and responding like you guys did! **Please let me know what you think of this chapter- even if it's only a sentence or two! All feedback is welcome!**


	3. Chapter 3

_Well, here goes nothing…_

Elliot shoved his hands into the pockets of his suit pants as he and Olivia entered the elevator. They'd done this a thousand times before; if Olivia forgot the last few months for a moment, she could see them heading back into the bullpen together after interviewing a witness, arresting a perp or returning from the M.E.'s office.

Elliot stopped dead in his tracks, and fiddled with the first button of his shirt. He felt like he was suffocating. Finally, he got it unbuttoned. "I don't know about this, Liv. I should probably just…"

He turned back towards the elevator, and Olivia frowned, stepping between him and his escape. "What's wrong?"

"I just don't think I should be here."

Olivia sighed, stepping out of his way. "If you don't want to go in there, I'm not going to force you to."

He could see the disappointment in her eyes. _I can't just avoid this place forever. Eventually, I'm going to have to walk back in there._ Finally, he turned and headed towards the bullpen. She walked next to him, shoulder to shoulder. Her simply being there, next to him, made him feel better about what he was about to do.

_Elliot and Olivia walked into the hospital room of their newest rape victim, Alexis Turner, and Elliot winced. The girl couldn't be older than fourteen. Her face was covered with bruises and her bottom lip was split. She looked so weak, and fragile, and he wanted to break the bastard that did it in half._

_"Hi, Alexis." He greeted gently, stopping in the doorway. "I'm Elliot, this is Olivia. We're police officers, could we come in?"_

_She glanced up at them, and Elliot could see the pain and fear in her eyes. Finally, she nodded. He moved slowly, and purposefully, making sure she knew that he wasn't planning on causing her any more harm. He stood next to Olivia at the edge of her bed. _

_"We're here to talk about what happened to you." Olivia said in the same gentle voice that he used. "Could you tell us?"_

_"I-it hurts to talk about." She whispered, glancing up at the detectives. Tears formed in her eyes. _

_"I know, sweetie." Elliot said. His heart broke for this girl… it always did with a victim this young. "But we want to protect you, and punish whoever did this to you. Isn't that what you want, too?"_

_Alexis nodded._

_"Then please tell us."_

_"I-I never saw him." Alexis said. "I was walking home from soccer practice. It ran late, so it was dark out. H-he came up from behind me, a-and he… he pulled me into the back of a van. He said that if I made a sound, he would kill me." The tears ran down her face. She sniffled, trying her best to keep her composure, but Elliot saw that it was a losing battle. _

_"What happened next?" Olivia asked gently. _

_"H-he drove for a while. I tried to get out of the van, but the doors were locked. When we stopped, he put a blindfold on me and told me to walk. Th-the next thing I saw was a little room with no windows. I-it looked like a basement. He told me to take off my clothes, and then he… he… raped me."_

"El?"

Elliot shook off the memory. "Sorry."

They walked further into the bullpen, where Munch and Fin were sitting at their desks silently, working on whatever case they'd caught.

"Hey, guys." Olivia greeted. "Look who I found."

"Well, well." Munch said, looking up. "Look what the cat dragged in."

The old detective stood, meeting Elliot in the middle of the bullpen.

"I'm surprised you're gracing us with your presence, after leaving so quickly."

Elliot glanced at the floor, a pang of guilt jolting him. "I couldn't stay. After the case-

"Chill, bro, you don't gotta explain." Fin said, standing. "We gotcha."

Elliot nodded, accepting Fin's handshake. "Thanks, Fin."

"If your suit is any indication of your pay grade, I'm not surprised you left." John said, smirking. "It's good to see you again, Elliot. What brings you here?"

"Just came back to make sure you guys are still doing your jobs."

Munch and Fin both laughed, and John spoke. "Don't worry about that. We're doing just fine without you."

"I thought so. How's it going?"

"Goin' after an untraceable Russian immigrant." Fin said. Elliot's eyes narrowed. They were trying to catch _his_ Russian immigrant.

"Fin." John said, and Elliot knew why. They weren't supposed to discuss their cases with outsiders. And that's what he was: an outsider.

"Well, we sure as hell need some help." Fin said.

Elliot chuckled. "Sorry, Fin. As much as I'd love to add to my workload, I already have my hands full."

"It's alright, guys, we can handle it." Olivia said.

"So, what gives, El?" Munch said. "Must have a damn good job to wear the suit that you're wearing."

"It's pretty good."

"And…?"

"Don't feel bad, guys." Olivia said, resting her hand on Elliot's arm. "He gave me the same spiel at dinner."

"I'm doing what I love. Isn't that enough?" Elliot asked. "Besides, I can't talk about it."

"What secret contractor scooped you up?" Munch said.

"Take your pick, John." Elliot shrugged, and turned to Olivia. "I should get going. Early day tomorrow. Can I drive you home?"

Olivia nodded her head. "Yeah. Sure."

"See you guys later." Elliot said.

"Bye, Elliot." John said. "Stop by once in a while, huh?"

"Sure."

The ride was silent, but it was comfortable, like it always was with them. Elliot pulled up in front of her building, and turned to her. "I'm glad you called me."

Olivia smiled, and nodded. "Me too. It was nice to hand out with you again, El. Just… don't be a stranger, okay?"

Elliot smiled back at her. "I won't."

She pat his hand gently. "Good. See you later."

"You will."

He watched as she got out and walked into the building, and then pulled away from the curb, heading home. When he walked into his apartment, he didn't bother to turn the lights on, just walked into the bedroom, pulled off his suit, and climbed into bed. He sighed in comfort as he sunk into the mattress, letting his eyes slide closed.

* * *

><p>The next morning went much like the morning before. He dressed in a similar suit, wore a similar hat, and went to work.<p>

He sat at his desk, and pulled out his case file. He was then thrown into the world of Alexei Gorbachov, Viktor Ivanski, and explosive weapons.

_Bernard Ivanski. The brother._

He grabbed his jacket, and left the building, heading towards the address in Bernard's file.

A Russian man in his thirties answered the door when Elliot knocked. "Can I help you?" He asked in a thick accent.

"Yes, are you Bernard Ivanski?" Elliot asked.

"Yes. How can I help you?"

"May I come in? I need to talk to you about your brother, Viktor."

Bernard scowled. "What has my no good brother done now?"

"I'd really like to talk to you about it in private." He answered.

"Very well. Come in."

Elliot stepped inside, and the Russian closed the door behind him. The apartment was neat, but bare for the most part, with a simple couch and coffee table.

"What is the nature of the relationship between you and your brother?" Elliot asked.

"I came to America first and got a job. Viktor came later to live with me. Then one day, he left. I don't talk to him much anymore."

"Why do you think he was no good?" Elliot asked.

"The whole time he lived here, he never went out to look for a job. He just hung around with some man all the time."

"And who was that man?" Elliot asked.

"Alexei." Bernard said. "I think his surname was Gorbachov."

"Do you know where he is now?" Elliot asked. "I really need to know, Bernard."

"I don't know where he is. But I know someone who might."

* * *

><p>AN: Thanks for reading! **Please let me know what you think! **


	4. Chapter 4

"I don't know where he is. But I know someone who might." Bernard said.

"Who's that?" Elliot asked, taking out his notepad from the inside pocket of his jacket.

"A Slavic man named Dmitri Jankovic. He lives in Hell's Kitchen, but I do not know his address. Is my brother in trouble?"

"He's a person of interest in a case I'm working." Elliot said. "Thank you for your time, I should be going."

* * *

><p>Elliot knocked in the door of the address he'd gotten off of his company's database, and a tall thin Slavic man opened it. "What do you want?" he asked. Like Bernard Ivanski, he had a thick accent.<p>

"Are you Dmitri Jankovic?" Elliot asked.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

Elliot took out one of the fake badges he's been issued. He had no such identification for his organization; technically, it didn't even exist. This time, he posed as FBI.

"I want to ask you about Viktor Ivanski. May I come in?"

Jankovic stepped aside reluctantly, letting Elliot inside. From what the ex-detective could see, it was an utter wreck. Empty beer bottles, newspapers and packs of cigarettes covered the coffee table and couch. The whole place smelt like booze and tobacco.

"When's the last time you saw Viktor?"

"I don't remember. Several weeks ago."

_He's lying. _

"I know nothing else. You should go now."

"I just have to ask a few more questions." Elliot said. "It'll only take a few minutes."

"No." Jankovic answered. "You must go. I have nothing else to tell you."

Elliot nodded, scrutinizing the man. He did a decent job trying to stay composed, but for someone like Elliot, it was easy to see through the facade. Especially since the man couldn't wait to get him out of there. "Alright, I'll go. Thank you for your time."

He walked out of the apartment, and headed back towards the office, his brain whirring with all of the possibilities.

"Stabler." He heard the director's voice when he walked into the office. "Can I see you in my office, please?"

Elliot passed through the doorway, and closed the door behind him before turning to his boss. His hands went behind his back as he waited for Collins to speak.

"Give me an update."

"I wasn't able to find Gorbachov or Ivanski right away. I went through Viktor's brother, Bernard, who led me to a man named Dmitri Jankovic. He's a friend of Ivanski."

"Do you think he's in on the plan?" Collins asked.

"I do." Elliot answered. "When I spoke with him, he was very defensive. He must be low on the chain, though. A professional wouldn't have been this rated by being questioned. Not to mention, he didn't question the I.D. I showed him."

Collins nodded his head. "What's your next move?"

"Surveillance." He answered. "Jankovic will have to contact his buddies eventually. I can get more information then."

"Very good. Keep up the work, hopefully we'll get them soon."

"There's something else." Elliot said cautiously, shifting on his feet.

"What is it?"

"Manhattan Special Victims Unit is looking for Viktor Ivanski for rape and murder."

Collins took a breath. "That's your old squad."

Elliot nodded. "Yes, sir. But it won't effect my work on the case."

"I hope not. If it does, I'll have to take you off. The NYPD can't know anything about what you're doing, understood?"

"Yes." Elliot answered. "I should get back to work."

"You should." The director said, and without another word, Elliot left.

* * *

><p>Elliot pulled in front of Jankovic's building, and turned the ignition off, leaning back in his seat. The lights were on in the apartment, so he stayed put, watching the window. He leaned back in his seat, preparing to be there for a while. This was one of the only things he missed about the NYPD… he didn't have to worry about surveillance like this.<p>

His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he picked it up, eyes never leaving the window. "Stabler."

"Hey, El." He heart her voice through the receiver, and suddenly, his whole world got a little brighter. She was one of the only people that could cheer him up or make his day better with simply her voice.

"Hey, Liv." He answered. "What's up?"

"I was just calling to ask if you wanted to get lunch with me." She said. "Around one?"

"Yeah, sure." Elliot answered, watching as the light of the apartment turned off. "Same place?"

"Yeah, sounds great." Olivia said as Jankovic walked out the front door of the building.

"Alright. Hey, listen, I gotta go. I'm in the field."

"Okay." She replied. "See you."

Elliot hung up the phone, and watched as the man walked down the sidewalk. He waited until he was out of sight, and then got out of his car. Elliot walked into the building and up the stairs to Jankovic's apartment.

He jiggled the door handle. Locked. No problem, he thought, taking his lock pick set out of the inside pocket of his jacket. In no time, the door was open, and he was inside. The apartment was just as messy as before; the same beer bottled littered the place and the ashtray on the coffee table was filled with cigarette butts.

Elliot took a small leather booklet out of his pocket, and retrieved a listening device. Looking around, he spotted the TV remote on the sofa, and smirked. Perfect.

"Let's see what you don't want me to know, Mr. Jankovic." He said to himself, setting the remote down and glancing out the window. The man in question headed towards the entrance of the building. "Just in time."

Elliot waited until he got inside, then opened the window, and climbed out onto the fire escape. He closed the window carefully, and started down. As his feet hit the pavement, he wiped his hands off on his suit pants, and checked his watch.

_Just enough time to get to the diner. _

Olivia smiled when she saw Elliot walk into the diner. He was dressed in a black suit today, and he'd taken his tie off in favor of a relaxed look with the top few buttons of his dress shirt popped. Familiar emotions flooded her; since he quit the force, it seemed like her feelings for him had gotten so much stronger, and she wasn't sure why. It was infuriating, especially since she was sure he didn't feel the same way. She'd be surprised if he was taking interest in _any_ woman, after being burned so badly by his wife of nearly twenty years.

That, coupled with what had happened at the precinct right before he quit… she was shocked he was able to bounce back so quickly, even if he had quit Special Victims Unit. The victims had been so close in age to his own children, and she saw the turmoil in his eyes throughout the entire case.

_That's it, _she decided, _I'm going to ask him. I mean, what could it hurt? If he really is over it, then he should be fine with me asking. If not… well, I maybe I can help him. After all, that's what part- _friends _are for. _

"Hey, El." She greeted as he sat down. "What's the matter, no tie today?"

He shrugged, giving her a smile. God, she loved that smile. "I was out in the field. Decided that it wasn't worth having in the way. What, you don't like the relaxed look?"

"I didn't say that." Olivia answered. "I'm just used to stiff-ass Stabler."

"Hey, I resent that." He said. "If you were assaulted, you wouldn't want someone dressed like a bum working your case, would you? I'm a professional."

"Yeah, a professional ass kisser." Olivia cracked.

"Oh, give me a break." He answered, raising an eyebrow. "You _know_ that's not true. You've seen my jacket."

"I just hope your new boss is okay with you beating the snot out of perps."

He smirked. "Well, he must be. I haven't been fired yet, have I?"

She chuckled under her breath, taking a look at the menu. "No, I guess not."

They ordered, and their food came shortly after. During that entire period, she'd been trying to work up the courage to broach the topic. She didn't know if she could, though; he seemed to be doing great, and she didn't want to sour his mood.

"So, El." She began gently. "I've been meaning to ask you about… things."

He looked up at her, and swallowed his bite of sandwich. "What things?"

"Well, you know." She said. "What happened after you… left."

He took a deep breath, scrubbing his face with his hands. A long pause passed before he finally answered. "Listen, Liv, I'll tell you everything if you want to know. But trust me, there's a lot. Why don't you come over my place after work, and we can talk?"

She saw the weariness begin to rise in his eyes. "Listen, if you don't want to talk about it, I don't want to-

He waved his hand. "No, no. Honestly, it would probably be good for me to talk about. I haven't really had anyone to talk with since Kathy left. Besides, you deserve to know why I didn't contact you for all those months. Tonight, my place. I get off at six."

He took out a pocket notepad from his jacket, and scribbled down an address for her. "This is my new address."

She took the piece of paper, and put it in her pocket. "Alright. I'll be there."

* * *

><p>AN: Thanks for reading! **Please let me know what you think and how I'm doing! **


	5. Chapter 5

Elliot spent the rest of the day in the office listening in on Jankovic. It turned out to be a complete waste of time; the Slavic man spent the entire time drinking beer and watching television. It was completely infuriating. He hated wasting his time, and come to think about it, he really couldn't afford time to waste. If he didn't get a move on, people were probably going to die.

He left the office at 6:05. When he got back to his apartment, he changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, turned the TV on the news, and sat on the couch. At 6:45, there was a knock on his door. Olivia stood behind it. She smiled. "Hey."

He let her in, and closed the door behind her.

"Wow." She said, looking around. "This is an upgrade, huh?"

He nodded. "Yeah, you could call it that. How was the rest of your day?"

"Okay." She answered, collapsing on the couch next to him.

"Did you find that guy you were looking for?" He asked. He couldn't help himself; he needed to know if she had any more success than he did.

_I'm not taking advantage, _he thought, _I just need to know if she's having an easier time than I am. I would never try to take advantage of her. _

She sighed in frustration. "No. It's like the guy just disappeared. It's infuriating."

"I know what you mean." Elliot said, leaning back on the cushions. They sat silently for a moment before he spoke again. "Honestly, Liv… I'm surprised you haven't tried to kick my ass after what went down."

It felt like the room cooled several degrees. She frowned. "You know, I was thinking about that on the way over here. I was just so happy that I finally got an answer from you that I wasn't thinking."

"And you're thinking now?"

"Honestly, Elliot, what you did was… it hurt me. And now I'm wondering if I should even be here."

His heart skipped a beat, and he immediately regretted bringing up the point. _It's not like it would have mattered if I didn't. It sounds like she was going to anyway. _His world was threatening to crumble around him. If she walked away from him, he didn't know what he would do.

_You did it to her. She would have every right._

"Liv…" He swallowed, the irrational pleas threatening to spill from his lips. "Just let me explain myself before you make any decisions. Please."

"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't willing to do that." She answered. The fear was so plainly written on his face that she really didn't have a choice. After all, even after everything that happened, she still loved him.

_There's that word, _she thought. _I love him. _

Elliot took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts. "After I left, I was… a mess. Kathy had left me, took the kids, and…" He swallowed, the darkness threatening to drown him. This was precisely the reason he needed to get away. With his new career, he had no time to think about his past. He was too busy worrying about Russian terrorists and bombs.

"And you had to watch a kid jump off of the precinct roof." Olivia finished.

_"Hey, Alexis." Elliot slowly approached the teenager, who stood at the edge of the roof of the precinct. Tears streamed down her face. _

_After Elliot and Olivia responded to her rape, four more occurred, all young, all committed by the same rapist. The third and fourth turned up dead._

_"Listen, you're safe. You don't have to do this."_

_"Safe?" Alexis repeated. "How can you tell me that? He got away with it. He's still out there and there's nothing anyone can do. I'd rather die than… what he did."_

_"He's not going to come back." Elliot said, approaching her slowly. "He's not going to hurt you again. He's not."_

_"How can you know?" She asked, beginning to break down. "How can you possibly know anything that he'll do?"_

_"Alexis, please." Elliot said, stepping even closer. "Just get down from there, and we can talk. We can protect you, make sure that you'll never have to see him again. Please trust me."_

_She started to step backwards, and Elliot made a dash towards her. "NO!"_

_He wasn't fast enough. Alexis stepped back, fell from the ledge, and landed on the sidewalk at least ten stories below. The sickening THUD and CRACK was so loud that he could even hear it, nearly ten stories above. _

Elliot swallowed, rubbing his hands together. "I didn't want you to see me like that. I needed to get away from it all."

She hadn't been there when Elliot was trying to talk Alexis off of the roof; she burst through the door just as Alexis stepped off. The look on his face after he failed to save her was one that she'd do nearly anything to forget. Grief, regret, anger (at both the man that did this to Alexis and himself)… "You're my best friend, El. I could have helped you."

He stood, approaching the glass sliding door that led to the balcony. His eyes were drawn down to the road, where rush hour traffic was beginning to slow and the sidewalks were scattered with people. "I was ashamed." He said finally.

"Ashamed?" She asked.

He nodded.

"Why?"

Elliot took a deep breath, hesitating. "Because I failed. I couldn't save the girl, and then… the bastard got away with it. It was all for nothing."

She stood from the couch, and approached him slowly. The grief was radiating off of him in waves, and all she wanted to do was comfort him. _Stay strong. He was hurt, but he didn't need to do this to you. You didn't deserve being dropped like that. _

"I know how terrible it must have been for you." She said quietly. "But I deserve better. I called, I left messages, all's I wanted to do was help you."

"I know." He whispered, turning towards her. "Believe me, Liv, I know. And I wouldn't blame you if you walked out that door right now and never tried to contact me again. Hell, I deserve it. But… you're all I have right now."

His eyes were filled with unshed tears and his shoulders were slumped. It looked like he was already ready for her to tell him to go to hell. The truth was, though, that she could never do that to him. No matter how tough she thought she was, no matter how angry she was with him, she could never just cut him off. And, although the last few months were not the best example, she knew that he would never do that to her. After all, he did answer her calls. It just took him a bit longer than she would have liked.

She sighed. "If you want to be involved with my life again, you have to promise me something."

"Anything." He answered immediately.

"You have to promise me that, no matter what happens, you'll never drop me like that again."

Elliot nodded. "I think I can do that."

"You better." She said, feeling the tears come to her eyes. She wanted to make sure he knew that she was serious, but her emotions were threatening to boil over. "If you do this to me again, I swear to God, Elliot Stabler, I will find you and you don't want to know what I will do to you."

Elliot took a quick step towards her, and before she knew what was happening, she was wrapped tightly in his arms. "I promise I won't, Liv. No matter what, I'll never do that to you again." He pulled away just far enough so he could look her in the eyes. A mischievous grin spread across his face. "You're stuck with me, now."

She looked into his eyes, and nodded. She wasn't going to lie; all of her uneasiness hadn't settled, but she saw the honesty in his deep blue orbs. When they were partners, she trusted him with her life. Now, she just had to learn how to do that again.

They were only a few inches apart. Her eyes raked over his form, from his relaxed expression to the formfitting white v-neck he wore. An overwhelming urge to lean up and kiss him rose in her chest.

_We're just getting back on speaking terms. Do you really want to ruin that? Besides, there's no way he feels the same way, so you're just going to send him running. _

Olivia took a step back. "Have anything to eat in this place? I'm starving."

He chuckled. "I called for Chinese right before you got here." He checked his watch. "It should be here any minute."

She was instantly reminded of back when they were partners. Wednesday nights they were on call, so instead of going all the way back to Queens, he joined her at her apartment for takeout and movies. Usually, they went for the sandwich shop down the block, after all, they both had their fitness to maintain, but once in a while, after a hard case or even just because, they ordered out for Chinese and ate right out of the cartons on her couch. They were some of the best memories she had with him.

There was a knock on his door. "There he is. Beer's in the fridge, help yourself." Elliot said, heading for the door.

His fridge was stocked with healthy foods: crisp, colorful fruits and vegetables, eggs, milk, yogurt, a few containers of leftovers, and on the bottom shelf, next to a pack of bottled water, a six pack of Guinness, clearly for him, and a pack of Miller. A smile came across her face. He remembered. She grabbed a bottle of each, and headed back into the living room, where he was pulling boxes out of the brown paper bag.

"Last time I checked, you hate Miller." She commented, handing him his Guinness.

He shrugged, plopping down on the couch. "It's not for me."

She smiled as he handed her one of the boxes and a pair of chopsticks. "Thanks, El."

"It's the least I can do." He said, smiling briefly at her before digging into his sesame chicken.

"So, how did you save the world today?" Olivia asked, digging into her food.

He chuckled. "I was doing surveillance. It wasn't very exciting."

"Oh really? On who?"

He stared into his carton of food, finding something very interesting about a piece of broccoli. "Just some Slavic. I can't really get into it."

She knew why he couldn't, but it still stung. She was used to knowing everything he did, where he was, what he was thinking. She had to if she wanted to be a good partner. But now… it felt like there was a wall between them. There was a whole part of him that she couldn't, or at least shouldn't, know about.

Elliot frowned when she saw the flash in her eyes. _This is stupid. Maybe I should just tell her, maybe we can help each other. _

_Collins said keep it zipped. I can't. _

"Sorry, Liv." He said.

She shook her head, poking at her chicken and broccoli. "There's nothing to apologize for. I get it."

_I just hope you'll feel the same if you ever find out. _

After they ate, Elliot popped in a movie, grabbed two more beers and dimmed the lights. They sat next to each other, sipping their drinks and watching the suspenseful thriller that he'd picked out.

"Don't we get enough of this kind of stuff at work?" She complained jokingly.

He shrugged, intent on the screen. "Yeah, but this is so much better. No one is actually getting hurt and we don't have anything to do with it."

Olivia chuckled, leaning back on the couch cushions. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Halfway through the film, he felt her head fell against his shoulder. He glanced at the woman sitting next to him. He hadn't even noticed her scoot closer to him. If she noticed his surprise, she didn't show it. Rather, she kept her focus on the TV. He smiled, slightly, letting his arm fall from the back of the couch onto her shoulder. It was impossible not to notice how well she fit into his side, or how warm her closeness made him feel.

Olivia had been hesitant to close the distance between them, but the slightly chill air in the apartment and her own desire made resisting unimaginable. When she scooted close and let her head fall against him, she'd been terrified that he was going to look at her like she had three heads and scoot away. Instead, she felt his arm wrap around her shoulders and, if it was possible, pull her even closer.

When the movie ended, they were both too comfortable to move. They sat their together, watching the credits in silence.

"I'm really glad you came tonight." Elliot murmured as the final line rolled up the screen. "Thank you. For letting me explain myself, and… for giving me a chance."

She looked up at him, and couldn't help but notice how close their faces were. "Like I said, El. You're my best friend, all's I ever wanted was to be there for you."

His bright blue eyes flickered. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, heart thumping quickly in his chest. _God, I just want to kiss her. _Before he knew what was happening, he was leaning towards her.

_Am I going to kiss her?_

_Is he going to kiss me?_

Olivia was frozen as he leaned in. His warm lips pressed against her cheek, lingered for a moment, then he retreated, staring into her eyes, waiting to see her reaction.

_You jackass, you should have went for it. _

_And what, have her freak out? Slap me? Leave? Of course she doesn't feel the same way as me, idiot. _

"You're my best friend." He said. "I'm sorry I lost sight of that."

She smiled at him, and gave him a pat on the chest. "Don't let it happen again."

"Never."

* * *

><p>AN: Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think! Next chapter, more on the case and feelings threaten to boil over.


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